Louie Gohmert

TEXAS' 1st DISTRICT

Rep. Louie Gohmert is keeping his fingers crossed that House Speaker John Boehner will put the kibosh on a Homeland Security funding vote, as long as it includes money for protecting millions of illegal immigrants from deportation.

"He said we're not caving, giving in and we're going to stand firm. That's what he said even as recently as yesterday. Hopefully, that means we're good.

"In the meantime, just in case we're not, there are growing numbers that are saying 'Hey, we promised we would not fund this unconstitutional action.'"

On Wednesday, lawmakers cleared the way for the Senate to pass funding the agency without blocking Obama's executive order for liberal immigration provisions, which include halting the deportations of millions of illegal aliens.

If that happens, it would then move to the House. But many House conservatives see it as surrender and don't want it to go to a vote. While Boehner has said the GOP won't cave, he's staying mum as to whether he'll bring the matter to a vote

Gohmert said there are Democratic senators who are squarely on the side of conservatives on the vote, but are looking for "cover."

"I know there are Democratic senators that have said 'Hey, I think what the president did is illegal and unconstitutional, but let's not vote on that together, don't make me vote on it with the funding of the DHS' because if we did that, it might actually stop the illegal amnesty and heaven forbid that we stop illegal and unconstitutional,"' he said.

"It's a little bit tough to listen to Democrats sound so pious and so wise in saying 'Let's split them and then get a separate vote so that I'll get to vote with the Republicans and that will give me cover and for all my friends and constituents back home that would vote me out of office if I had to vote on both of the DHS funding and amnesty and I didn't stop the amnesty.' This gives them cover."

Gohmert, Vice Chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations, said if a partial shutdown does end up happening, Republicans must be able to convince Americans that they're not to blame.

"Our leadership has not done a good job of explaining that in the past. In fact, our speaker went on the Jay Leno show and said we shut [the government] down [in 2013]," he said.

"We did not shut it down. We voted over and over to compromise. We even voted to appoint conferees to work it out and [then-Senate Majority Leader Harry] Reid would not let that come to a vote. He shut it down and so I don't know.

"Our leadership in the past has not done a good job in of articulating, but by golly, now is the time they better start." Read More

U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, called radical Islamists such as ISIS, “weeds” and “bugs” while speaking to farmers on Wednesday at a luncheon honoring growers across the region.

Gohmert noted recent comments by State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf, who said the U.S. should look for new approaches to dealing with terrorists, because it would be impossible to win a war on terror without addressing why recruits are joining the cause.

“We’re killing a lot of them, and we’re going to keep killing more of them. ... But we cannot win this war by killing them,” Ms. Harf said on MSNBC’s “Hardball.” “We need ... to go after the root causes that leads people to join these groups, whether it’s lack of opportunity for jobs, whether …” Ms. Harf was interrupted by the reporter.

Gohmert disagreed.

He said placating extremists would only embolden them.

“She said we should give them jobs, because we can’t kill them all,” he said. “That’s like a farmer saying, ‘Well, we won’t kill our way through these weeds and bugs, so I guess we’ll let them do their own thing.’”

After the event, Gohmert affirmed his stance.

“The only way to deal with ISIS is to fight and kill them,” Gohmert said. “That is the only thing that has worked against radical Islam.”

Gohmert said the U.S. should stop short of putting boots on the ground but that Congress should provide military support, including training personnel and providing equipment and air support to Egypt, Jordan and other predominantly Muslim countries fighting radical terrorist groups.

Gohmert said Bush’s surge in Afghanistan was a success and that recruitment “dried up.”

The Congressman also touched on government encroachment through agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, and regulations, such as the Clean Water Act, that hinder small farms and businesses.

Gohmert said regulations are used to control and restrict common sense utilization of private land. He said local farmers have the best interest of their consumers and the environment at heart.

Regulation results in consequences beyond the cost of small businesses but also the environment, he said.

The Endangered Species Act, and subsequent attempts by federal agencies to regulate, rather than compensate, landowners with endangered species on their land, caused them to “shoot, shovel and shut-up,” he said.

“These people are making a living off the land and you want to take that away from them?” he said. “I proposed paying landowners to report species and paying them for use of the land and I thought Democrats would be happy about that. They weren’t. That’s a liberal mindset. It never had anything to do with the endangered species, it was about control.”

Rep. Louie Gohmert (TX-01) released the following statement regarding the federal judge in South Texas’ decision to temporarily halt President Obama’s unlawful blanket amnesty order:

“The United States is a nation of laws, not royal decrees. This ruling is not only a victory for the American people, it is a big win for those hoping the U.S. will continue to follow its own Constitution. The Obama Administration needed its unfettered disregard for the law and the Constitution halted– and this ruling does just that. It reminds this President, once again, that he cannot simply speak laws into existence when he disagrees with existing law_ at least not until the American people are willing to nullify the Constitution and accept a supreme ruler.

This judge’s ruling should serve as a battering ram to break the logjam in the Senate. The bill that passed the House completely funds the Department of Homeland Security but does not fund the President's illegal amnesty. It sits waiting for a handful of Senate Democrats to vote to allow it to be debated. The Senate has the votes to pass the bill but Senate Democrats are blocking it from being debated, because of some untenable fear. Now they should overcome their fear of debate and realize the bill is both appropriate and upholds the Constitution.

Twenty-six states, led by Texas, are doing battle in federal Court in defense of the Constitution and its division of powers. They seek to prevent the President's attempt to strike existing law, legislate new law without the legislature, and unilaterally grant amnesty to millions of immigrants illegally here. This United States District judge in South Texas has previously found the Department of Homeland Security inappropriately engaging in human trafficking and now has struck a blow for the Constitution. The ruling verifies what the American people and lawmakers alike have been echoing – this president does not have the legal authority to be the legislative, executive, and judicial branches all by himself.”

Congressman Gohmert is the Vice Chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security and the Chairman of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Prior to being elected to serve in Congress, Louie was elected to three terms as District Judge in Smith County, Texas. He was appointed by Texas Governor Rick Perry to complete a term as Chief Justice of the 12th Court of Appeals.

Rep. Louie Gohmert (TX-01) released the following statement today regarding the new data from the Census Bureau that shows the United States added twice as many immigrants as jobs since 2000—while the number of Americans not working increased dramatically:

“It is truly astounding that the federal government has added two new immigrants for each additional job created in the United States since 2000. According to Census Bureau data, in the past 15 years there were only 9.3 million jobs created while 18 million new legal and illegal immigrants were introduced to this nation.

This new information is compounded by the fact that the President is implementing policies that would unilaterally declare illegal immigrants as “lawfully present” in the United States, making job hunting even more difficult for over 90 million Americans who are eligible to work but unemployed. It is apparent the Obama Administration is out of touch with the financial struggles of willing American hard-workers when it is putting immigrants illegally here ahead of them.

This administration’s policies have slowed the growth of employment within the United States and hurt struggling Americans by making employment more difficult to find as well as drastically depressing wages. Under the Obama Administration, this country has seen the lowest labor force participation levels since 1978. Roughly 92 million people in the Unites States are out of a job, including those who are eligible to work but have given up even trying to find a job. According to the report, native-born Americans made up 77 percent of the workforce in 2000, but less than 72 percent by the end of 2014.

Additionally, young Americans are being even more dramatically hurt by the Obama policies and amnesty actions. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, ‘today’s typical 18- to 34-year-old earns about $2,000 less per year (adjusted for inflation) than their counterpart in 1980.’ That is truly outrageous. Yet, those younger Americans are the very people who support the President more strongly.

The unlawful executive amnesty decree illegally created by President Obama will double immigration rates in the country. That will financially damage Americans legally here all the more. This President’s policies are crushing the economy and doing significant damage to hurting families who try to obey our laws.

It’s time for the President to start putting the needs of American workers harmed by his policies ahead of those who violate the law.”

Congressman Gohmert is the Vice Chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security and the Chairman of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Prior to being elected to serve in Congress, Louie was elected to three terms as District Judge in Smith County, Texas. He was appointed by Texas Governor Rick Perry to complete a term as Chief Justice of the 12th Court of Appeals.

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) is attacking the Obama administration’s immigration policies, following the release of a report revealing that for every job created in the U.S. since 2000, the government has added two immigrants.

“This new information is compounded by the fact that the President is implementing policies that would unilaterally declare illegal immigrants as ‘lawfully present’ in the United States, making job hunting even more difficult for over 90 million Americans who are eligible to work but unemployed,” he said Thursday.

This week the Center for Immigration Studies released a new analysis of Census data revealing that while 18 million legal and illegal immigrants have arrived in the U.S. since January 2000, just 9.3 million new jobs were created over the same period of time.

“This administration’s policies have slowed the growth of employment within the United States and hurt struggling Americans by making employment more difficult to find as well as drastically depressing wages,” Gohmert said. “Under the Obama Administration, this country has seen the lowest labor force participation levels since 1978. Roughly 92 million people in the Unites States are out of a job, including those who are eligible to work but have given up even trying to find a job.”

Gohmert noted that the report also showed that “native-born Americans made up 77 percent of the workforce in 2000, but less than 72 percent by the end of 2014.”

In November, President Obama announced his administration would unilaterally provide legal status and work permits to millions of undocumented immigrants — something Gohmert said shows the administration “is out of touch with the financial struggles of willing American hard-workers.”

“The unlawful executive amnesty decree, illegally created by President Obama, will double immigration rates in the country,” he said. “That will financially damage Americans legally here all the more. This President’s policies are crushing the economy and doing significant damage to hurting families who try to obey our laws.”

“It’s time for the President to start putting the needs of American workers harmed by his policies ahead of those who violate the law,” Gohmert concluded.

In a House Judiciary Hearing this week, U.S. Congressman Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) questioned a panel of distinguished experts on enforcement of the nation’s immigration laws, sharing his experience as a former state district judge.

“I know the testimony earlier that about 50 percent of those illegally here, after being released without being deported, commit crimes against other Americans,” Gohmert said to the panel in a five-minute address, referring to a statistic mentioned earlier in the hearing. “I know as judge, when I was considering bail or bond, that was a primary consideration, the likelihood of them returning and the public safety.

“I can’t imagine releasing somebody on a (makeable) job, if both sides agree the defendant had a 50 percent chance of reoffending, committing a further crime if I let him go,” Gohmert said, calling it unconscionable.

“When we talk about the children and the women and the people across American and protection of families, my gosh, we’re releasing criminals to go after them? That is outrageous,” he said.

Gohmert said, right now, the nation is in a cycle of letting criminals go.

“The criminal law in America is something that concerns me at the federal level because of something called the Anti-deficiency Act,” he said, referring to legislation enacted by Congress to prevent the incurring of obligations or the making of expenditures (outlays) in excess of amounts available in appropriations or funds.

Gohmert said the law’s very clear that if Congress appropriates money for one purpose, it’s not to be used for another purpose unless proper steps are utilized.

He asked the panel of witnesses if they knew where the money came from to award more than 5 million work permits in Crystal City.

“I know we heard through the news there was a facility built over in Crystal City for awarding these amnesty work permits. Some of us are wondering where that money came from,” he said. “We are clamoring that they need more money but where did that money come from because I know Congress certainly was not notified that they were shifting funds from one appropriated purpose to Crystal City and to awarding these five million or so work permits that basically amount to amnesty. Do any of the witnesses know where that money came from?”

Responding to his question, witness Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies for the Center of Immigration Studies, said that is a legitimate question.

“I think that’s something that Congress should be asking because USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services), the agency that’s responsible for issuing these benefits, has not collected a single dime in fees from any future applicants for the new deferred action work permit program so, it certainly appears that they have perhaps been hoarding money skimmed from the fees paid by legal immigrants,” Vaughan said. “USCIS is funded by fees paid by legal immigrants and their sponsors for a service that they get.”

Gohmert said the issue is a problem. “We have seen reports that people, my office is helping, that came here legally as immigrants, we welcomed, trying to get a spouse in,” he said. “They have paid higher fees to try to expedite those and it turns out, this administration is illegally moving that money over to give priority to people that came in illegally; thus, putting people that are trying to do the legal immigration process a terrible disservice by putting them at the back of the line.”

Since Vaughan is in the business of investigating such i ssues, Gohmert asked her to assist his office. He also encouraged another witness on the panel, Jan C. Ting, professor of law at the Temple University Beasley School of Law, to review the Anti-deficiency Act.

“I encourage you as a law professor if you would to look at that,” he said.

Addressing Paul Babeu, sheriff of Panal County in Florence, Arizona, Gohmert informed him that Congress has the power to help law enforcement do their job without the interference of CIS.

“I hear you say, sheriff, 30 to 50 criminals per day are being released in your county alone by CIS. That’s the very people the president has called bad actors and yet his policies are responsible for letting him go upon the families of America,” Gohmert said. “I’m very concerned about the way the money is being spent.

“Congress has the power even after the Supreme Court decision in the Arizona case, to ask for help and appropriate money. Sheriff would you have any problem if we block granted money from CIS to local law enforcement to get local law enforcement to help do the job that CIS is not being allowed to do?” Gohmert asked.

“What I’m told by ICE officials — and I’ve been told on a number of occasions — is that they believe, from their internal data, is there is a recidivism rate of about 50 percent of criminal aliens who are released by ICE –,” Vaughan testified before the House Judiciary Committee Tuesday.

She didn’t finish the sentence because Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) — a committee member questioning Vaughan — expressed shock at the figure and interrupted her.

“Right,” Vaughan replied, “and that’s both criminal aliens released by ICE and also those criminal aliens who are released by local law enforcement agencies that want to obstruct immigration enforcement by not honoring detainers,”

Vaughan noted that, based on the approximately 36,000 criminal aliens who were release in 2013, a lower percentage — 16 percent — of them went on to be arrested again by local law enforcement agencies.

Later in the hearing Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) returned to the high recidivism rate.

“I heard testimony earlier that about 50 percent of those illegally here after being released without being deported commit crimes against other Americans. I know when I was a judge, when I was considering bail or bond. That was a primary consideration. The likelihood of them returning and the public safety,” Gohmert said.

“Americans deserve far better than what the president proposed today in his ‘budget plan.’ President Obama’s proposed budget devastates the small monthly returns seniors receive from their retirement accounts since so many are invested in the very stocks the President wants to attack. The President pushes more tax increases that will kill jobs and continue to stymie the economy. This is not what this country needs.

Under Obama's budget plan our national debt will pass $20 trillion in 2017. In fact, the plan he has suggested will add trillions upon trillions in new debt to this nation over the next decade. This reckless spending and continuation of failed policies are draining Americans’ paychecks and hindering small businesses from starting and surviving. It steals from our children and grandchildren solely because this administration is voting ‘present’ instead of leading to eliminate waste, fraud and bureaucratic gluttony.

This proposal to add trillions of dollars to the national debt is, to quote Senator Barrack Obama, ‘immoral,’ and I urge Congress to stand together against such outrageous and calloused harm to the middle class.”

Congressman Gohmert is the Vice Chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security and the Natural Resources Subcommittee Chairman of Oversight and Investigations. Prior to being elected to serve in Congress, Louie was elected to three terms as District Judge in Smith County, Texas. He was appointed by Texas Governor Rick Perry to complete a term as Chief Justice of the 12th Court of Appeals.

Rep. Louie Gohmert (TX-01) released the following statement regarding the introduction of H.R. 594, the Waters of the United States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act:

“It is critical that this bill is brought to the House floor for passage then sent to the Senate for passage then on to the President. This bill is critical to reigning in federal agencies who have engaged in a power grab to snatch Constitutional rights away from property owners, as well as local and state governments. The EPA is attempting to illegally expand the Clean Water Act (CWA) and grasp jurisdiction over water that is currently under control of states and private ownership.

The EPA has long since expanded beyond working toward a clean environment and has become a runaway, militarized, super power that eats liberties of Americans becoming bigger and more unstoppable with each set of rights it consumes. It must be prevented from speaking its whims into law after backroom bureaucratic deals. These unelected bureaucrats who have thumbed their noses at the written law in favor of their own cubicle-concocted regulations should not be allowed to grow any more powerful. States and local governments should be allowed to control their own water unless it is patently a national waterway. It is an honor to not only work with the bill’s author, Congressman Paul Gosar, but to also call him a dear friend.”

Congressman Gohmert is the Vice Chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security and the Natural Resources Subcommittee Chairman of Oversight and Investigations. Prior to being elected to serve in Congress, Louie was elected to three terms as District Judge in Smith County, Texas. He was appointed by Texas Governor Rick Perry to complete a term as Chief Justice of the 12th Court of Appeals.

Congressman Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) is firing back against a liberal blogger, telling Breitbart Texas in an exclusive interview that the blogger’s headline was an “outright lie” and twisted his words about the abortion bill that recently failed in Congress to make it sound like he said the complete opposite of what he actually said.

In a conference call on Tuesday with conservative pastors led by Bishop E.W. Jackson, Gohmert discussed the late term abortion bill that had recently died in the House. The bill would have banned abortions after twenty weeks and included an exception in cases of rape, but required the woman to have reported the rape to authorities. This language became a sticking point, specifically with some female Republican members, and after some contentious debate, House leadership pulled the bill.

Later that day, liberal blog Raw Story posted a short recording, an excerpt of Gohmert’s comments on that call, along with a story by David Edwards titled, “Gohmert: ‘Our Republican females sent entirely wrong message’ by wanting rape exception to abortion ban.” According to Raw Story, Gohmert said that the Republican women in Congress “sent the entirely wrong message” by objecting to the language in the bill.

That is a misrepresentation, Gohmert told Breitbart Texas. He was clearly frustrated with the blogger Edwards, who he referred to as a “left-wing troll” who “wants to take anything a Christian says and twist it.” Gohmert explained that he was not attacking the female Republican members of Congress, but instead was criticizing the way House leadership had handled the bill and not allowed sufficient time nor opportunity for these women to have had input into the bill’s language. Edwards’ headline, said Gohmert, was nothing more than an “outright lie.”

Gohmert described some of the background around the bill and how it proceeded. House Leadership wanted to send a message to grassroots conservatives that the Republicans were “staunchly” against abortion and bring forward a bill “that set forth the beliefs of the entire Republican majority in the House,” said Gohmert. The anniversary of Roe vs. Wade and the annual March for Life attended by so many pro-life activists provided the perfect timing to bring such a bill forward.

The problem, according to Gohmert, was that the bill was brought forward with very little time to read and debate it. “Members should have had a chance to weigh in,” he said, arguing that they needed more than just a day or two before the vote. Gohmert would have preferred for the bill to have gone through regular order, allowed amendments, and sufficient time for debate.

“We always seem to get into trouble when we don’t follow regular order,” said Gohmert. With this bill, he and the other members “didn’t get the chance to have timely input.”

He emphasized again that his issue was with House Leadership who had not sought input from the rest of the members before trying to rush the bill through, not with any of the members who tried to provide that input. “I thought it was very unfortunate that they brought the bill to the floor without it having to go through regular order,” said Gohmert, “and unfortunate that they pulled the bill on the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, and unfortunate Republican women were put in a position at the very last minute…it really wasn’t fair to any of those involved.”

“I have nothing but respect for the females in our conference,” continued Gohmert, noting that he disliked how they were put in this position, where they were criticized and some were even blaming them for the bill’s failure. Not so, said Gohmert. “My issue is with leadership, not the other Members.”

Accordingly, explained Gohmert, it was the House leadership’s decisions to allow such little time to debate the bill and then to pull the bill that “sent the entirely wrong message.” Gohmert also pointed out that Edwards had only posted a short excerpt from his remarks, but regardless, there was enough there on the portion that Edwards did post to show that he was referring to leadership.

This was not the first time that Gohmert had criticized House Leadership on this specific point. In another interview with Breitbart Texas earlier this month, Gohmert criticized Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio) for breaking earlier promises to allow bills to proceed through a regular order through committees and to allow time to properly read bills.

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Serving his fifth term in the United States House of Representatives, Congressman Louie Gohmert was first sworn in January 4, 2005. He proudly represents the First District of Texas which encompasses over 12 counties stretching nearly 120 miles down the state’s eastern border.

During these trying economic times, Rep. Gohmert is developing innovative solutions to jumpstart our economy and offering practical alternatives to the government’s bailout frenzy. His “Federal Income Tax Holiday” gained widespread national support from the grassroots level to national leaders, allowing taxpayers to decide how best to spend their hard-earned money. Louie has repeatedly called for an end to the socialization of our economy and decried the notion that Washington Bureaucrats know better than American taxpayers.

Louie serves on numerous House committees and subcommittees. He was recently named Vice Chair of the Judiciary subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security due to his extensive knowledge stemming from years in the court room.

Prior to being elected to serve in Congress, Louie was elected to three terms as District Judge in Smith County, Texas. During his tenure on the bench, he gained national and international attention for some of his innovative rulings. He was later appointed by Texas Governor Rick Perry to complete a term as Chief Justice of the 12th Court of Appeals.

Louie received his undergraduate degree from Texas A&M University and later graduated from Baylor School of Law. He is also a veteran having served his country as Captain in the U.S. Army.

Today, he and his wife Kathy are the proud parents of three daughters. Their family attends Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler, where Louie has served as a deacon and still teaches Sunday school.